1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a keyboard serving as input means for a computer and, more particularly, to a multimedia keyboard through which multimedia functions, such as a reproduction of CD (compact disk) or DVD (digital video disk), controlling sound volume, connection to the Internet, transmitting and receiving of electronic mail, activation of various application programs, and starting and termination of a system, are directly performed by key operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, computers have come to be widely utilized with significant progress in the processing performance thereof. There are various ways of using a computer which include not only use of ordinary word-processing and calculating programs but reproduction of audio or image signals from CD or DVD, image processing, utilization of the Internet, and transmitting/receiving of electronic mail (or e-mail). Further, it is considered that the utilization of computers as household electrical appliances and the systematization thereof will be accelerated still more, and that computers and various kinds of household electrical appliances may be used in the future in such a way as to be integral with one another.
In a computer system integrated into a multimedia system in such a manner, generally, each operation of activating and inactivating various kinds of multimedia functions is achieved by pressing down a combination of ordinary keys (for example, keys of a Japanese 109 Keyboard) serving as input means for a computer or by using a pointing device, such as a mouse or a track ball, to thereby position a cursor on a desired icon on the screen of a display device.
Further, in recent years, there have been used multimedia keys adapted to directly cause the activation or inactivation of, especially, multimedia functions. Generally, such multimedia keys are preliminarily built into a part of a main unit of a personal computer or into a part of a keyboard.
Moreover, it is usual that a multimedia key portion is built into a part of a main unit of a notebook-sized personal computer.
The appearance of such a conventional multimedia keyboard is larger than that of a standard keyboard by the size of a multimedia key portion. Further, because the multimedia key portion is built into the multimedia keyboard, the multimedia key portion cannot be detached therefrom even when the multimedia key portion is not used. Therefore, the conventional multimedia keyboard is disadvantageous in the occupied area or footprint, as compared with the standard keyboard.
Moreover, when the multimedia key function is utilized in a conventional desktop personal computer having no multimedia keys in a main unit thereof, it is sufficient to replace a standard keyboard with a multimedia keyboard. However, a conventional notebook-sized personal computer having no multimedia keys in a main unit thereof needs to utilize a large multimedia keyboard externally attached thereto. Thus, such a conventional notebook-sized personal computer is inefficient in space utilization.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multimedia keyboard having a small occupied space, to which a unit having a multimedia function is detachably attached.
To achieve the foregoing object, according to the present invention, there is provided a keyboard which comprises a main keyboard unit, and an auxiliary keyboard unit having a multimedia key function, through which various functions, which can be realized by using a computer, and execution of application programs, which can be executed by using the computer, are directly achieved by a key operation as multimedia functions. Further, the auxiliary keyboard unit is detachable from the main keyboard unit.
According to the present invention, the auxiliary keyboard unit having the multimedia key function is detachable from the keyboard. For example, in the case that the multimedia key function is not utilized, the auxiliary keyboard unit can be detached from the main keyboard unit, if necessary. Thus, space-saving is achieved.